Propellant charging valve having plastic head construction



Dec. 21, 1965 F. L. KUREK 3,224,461

PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE HAVING PLASTIC HEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept.14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FRANK L. KUREK BY/QQQJJ ATTORNEYDec. 21, 1965 F. L. KUREK 3,224,461

PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE HAVING PLASTIC HEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept.14, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK L. KUREK A Z, MM

ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1965 KUREK 3,224,461

PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE HAVING PLASTIC HEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept.14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. FRANK L. KUREK BY A? A ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,224,461 PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE HAVING PLASTICHEAD CONSTRUCTION Frank L. Kurek, 609 Charles Lane, Madison, Wis. FiledSept. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 138,062

2 Claims. (Cl. 137509) This invention relates to apparatus forintroducing fluid into a valved container through the valve thereof andmore particularly to a valve, and apparatus comprising a valve, for sointroducing such fluid under high pressure.

Pressurized containers, normally known as aerosol containers, havebecome well known and, when filled, normally contain one or more fluidsunder pressure, the fluids being retained therein by a closure valvewhich may be manually manipulated to dispense the contents of thecontainer through the valve.

Such valves normally may be opened by introducing fluid thereinto, underpressure, in reverse direction to the direction of flow which the fluidhas when it is dispensed from the container.

It has become popular to introduce propellant fluid into such containersby introducing the propellant to the valve in this manner and therebycausing it to open a valve and flow through the valve into thecontainer, while under high pressure.

Apparatus heretofore used to introduce fluid to such containers in thismanner has exhibited many disadvan tages and by use of the valve andapparatus of my invention many of these disadvantages are eliminated.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide improved apparatusfor introducing the fluid under pressure into a valved container whereinthe pressure of the introduced fluid causes the valve of the containerto open and allow the fluid to enter into the container.

It is another object to provide an improved charging valve as part ofsuch apparatus.

Other objects will become apparent from the drawings and from thefollowing detailed description in which it is intended to illustrate theapplicability of the invention without thereby limiting its scope toless than that of all equivalents which Will be apparent to one skilledin the art. In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like partsand:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of the valve of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view of the apparatusof my invention in use;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the valve of my invention duringoperation in accordance with the embodiment of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 3, there is shown a valve indicatedgenerally as 1 having a body 2 with a bonnet 3 threadedly attachedthereto, which may be provided on its outer surface with flat surfaces 4which may be utilized to tighten it against the body and with threads 5which may be utilized to attach it to other portions of the apparatus asdescribed hereinafter. Body 2 may be provided with inlet 6 and passage 7leading therefrom to chamber 8 having a bottom Surface 9 through whichoutlet duct 10 leads outwardly from chamber 8. The portions of surface 9surrounding outlet 10 serve as a seat against which piston 11, which hasa flat bottom surface, seats. Piston 11 is adapted to move slidablyupwardly and downwardly in the cylinder formed by cylindrical walls 13in body 2. Above piston 11 there is provided piston holding member 14which is biased downwardly by spring 15 to hold piston 11 against theseat provided by surface 9. Spring 15 acts against retainer 16 which isheld in a suitably desired 3,224,451 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 ice locationby adjusting screw 17; lock nut 18 may be utilized to prevent unwantedmovement of screw 17. Breather hole 19 may suitably be provided inbonnet 3. Conical slits 12 may be provided in the outer surface ofpiston 11 to provide for suitable sealing of the outer portion of piston11 against wall 13 and the upper surface of piston 11 may be provided inthe form of a cone having its apex extending downwardly and a lowersurface of piston holding member 14 may have a similar conical surfaceso that as member 14 is forced downwardly against piston 11 it tends toforce the sidewalls of resilient piston 11 outwardly against wall 13.Piston 11 is preferably madeof a resilient corrosion-resistantsolvent-resistant plastic material :such as polytetrafluoroethylene(sold commercially as Teflon by Dupont) or polyfluorotrichloroethylene(sold commercially as Kel-F by Minnesota Mining and ManufacturingCompany) or other suitable fluorinated hydrocarbon plastics. The othermembers of the valve may suitably be made of any suitable metal or of ahigh strength structural plastic such as certain polyformaldehydes andpolycarbonates. Body 2 and bonnet 3 are generally preferably made ofstainless steel.

Body 2 may be fastened to adapter 20 by screws 21 extending into andthreadedly engaged in threaded holes 22 and may be threadedly engaged bymeans of threads 5 with coupling 25 which may be attached to piston rod26 which in turn is attached to piston 27 which operates in cylinder 28which may be rigidly mounted as shown. Valve 29 may be provided, to beoperated by means not shown for simplicity, to cause fluid to beintroduced to cylinder 28 to cause piston 27 to move upward or downwardas desired.

Tube 31 may lead to inlet 6 from cylinder 30 on one side of piston 32.Fluid may enter cylinder 30 on the same side of piston 32 from tube 33through check valve 34. Piston 32 may be connected by piston rod 35 topiston 36 which may operate in cylinder 40. Valve 38 may be provided tointroduce fluid into piston 40 on either side of piston 36 to causelateral movement to the left or right of piston 36, as desired, andconsequently movement to the left or right of piston 32 by reason of theconnection provided between the two pistons by piston rod 35.

In operation, valve 29 is actuated to cause piston 27 to move downwardto force valve 1 and adapter 20 downward from the position shown inbroken lines indicated as 1 and 20, against container 50. Adapter 20 isthus brought into sealing engagement with container 50, the sealingmeans being not shown for simplicity. Adapter 20 is maintained insealing engagement with valve 1 by suitable sealing means such as O-ring37.

The portion of cylinder 30 on the left side of piston 32 having beenpreviously filled with fluid which is to be introduced in container 50,valve 38 is actuated to cause piston 36 to move to the left andconsequnently to cause piston 32 to move to the left to force said fluidthrough tube 31 into chamber 8 whereupon, by reason of the pressureexerted on said fluid by piston 32, piston 11 is lifted off the seatprovided by surface 9 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 and said fluidflows downwardly through outlet 10 whereupon the valve in con tainer 50(not shown for simplicity) may be opened by reason of the pressure ofthe fluid and the fluid flows downwardly into can 50. To provide forthis result, check valve 34, of course, is closed by reason of thepressure of the fluid.

Although the valve in container 50 may be thus opened, it mayalternatively be opened by reason of the mechanical engagement with suchvalve, of a suitable actuating member which may be part of the adapter,so that as the adapter engages container 50, such member opens the valvein container 50.

The specific direction of travel described with respect to the parts asshown in FIGURE 2 may of course be suitably varied. Thus, cylinders 30and 40 may be suitably oriented so that the pistons therein move up anddown or diagonally. Cylinder 50 need not be so oriented that piston 27and valve 1 move vertically, although this arrangement is generallypreferred.

When sufficient fluid is introduced into container 50, the motion ofpiston 32 toward the left is stopped and it is caused to begin to movetoward the right, whereupon pressure on fluid in line 31 is reduced andthe biasing action of spring causes piston 11 to move downwardly andagain seat on surface 9. As piston 32 continues to move to the right,fluid flows upwardly through tube 33 and opens valve 34 and flows intocylinder 30, supply means for such fluid being omitted for simplicity.Piston 27 thereupon or simultaneously moves upward to withdraw valve 1and adapter from container 50. Container 50 is withdrawn and anothercontainer is provided in its place and the process is then repeated.

It is to be noted that the piston consists of a single piece. The pistonoperates to a useful extent if only one or two conical slits 12 arepresent in its periphery but generally more are preferred and as manymay be usefully provided as may be conveniently located within thephysical limitations of a piston of any suitable dimensions. However,generally from about three to about nine such grooves or slits arepreferred. The conical angle of the cone of the upper surface of thepiston and the lower surface of member 14 is preferably about 60 but maysuitably be from about to about 120 or even 170 or 180. Thus the engagedsurfaces of piston 11 and member 14 need not necessarily be conical (butmay be flat and substantially normal to the axis of the piston) in auseful embodiment. Relief in the upper surface of piston 11 ispreferably provided by downwardly extending hole 42 therein and reliefat the point of the lower conical surface of member 14 may be providedat 43 to insure a tight fit of said conical surfaces so that the end ofthe lower center portion of member 14 does not act against the center ofthe upper surface of piston 11.

Heretofore it has been considered necessary to provide in place of thevalve 1 of my invention a solenoid valve, a flexible electricalconnection leading therefrom, a time delay relay connected with saidflexible electrical connection and a spring-loaded check valve in line31, each of which has caused certain difficulties. The combination ofthese difliculties has been particularly objectionable.

It has also been known to provide in place of valve 1 of my invention avalve in which a principal sealing member is lifted from its seat by themechanical action of a member which simultaneously engages container 50and said sealing member when the valve is forced downwardly towardcontainer 50 by a piston rod such as piston rod 26. Such valves have hadcertain disadvantages such as bypassing of the metering cylinder; i.e.,cylinder 30, complication in construction and excessive loss ofpropellant between charges.

The disadvantages in devices utilizing solenoids include the largepressure drop provided by the spring loaded check valve and electricalditficulties due to the utilization of electrical equipment inatmospheres in which it is difficult and expensive to maintain safelyand in good condition such electrical equipment.

In accordance with my invention I provide a valve which has a superiorseal against the seat, and a superior seal with respect to the passagethrough which the valve operating member operates and which provides agreat superiority in the large size of the passage provided between theinlet and the outlet when the valve is open. I

also provide a filling apparatus for aerosol containers which eliminatesmany of the parts, portions and devices which have been heretoforenecessary and have caused difficulties in use and maintenance.

Commonly used propellant fluids with which the device of my invention isoperable include liquid CO liquidfluorinated hydrocarbons, liquidbutane, liquid N0 and the like, all of which are liquid under thepressure maintained in the supply means and in line 33 but are normallygaseous at usual ambient temperatures and pressures. Thus the vaporpressure for commonly-used propellants varies from about 20 to p.s.i. atroom temperature. Supply pressure, that is, the pressure in line 33, isgenerally maintained at 50 to 200 p.s.i. above vapor pressure dependingon speed of operation and type of pumping used in the supply means.

The supply pressure is preferably sufliciently high to provide thepropellant in liquid phase so that accurate metering results areobtained, since metering is volumetric. Therefore, supply pressure mustbe well above the vapor pressure in order to prevent the presence ofvapor in the system which would cause metering of erroneous, that is,insuificient liquid amounts.

Thus, with an intermittent supply such as may be furnished by an airoperated piston pump, the supply pressure is generally 200 p.s.i. abovevapor pressure so that the pressure in line 33 is generally from about70 to about 300 p.s.i. It will be appreciated that screw 17 is adjustedto adjust the position of member 16 so that the biasing action of spring15 is suflicient to prevent piston 11 from opening under such supplypressure. The filling pressure (the pressure required to lift piston 11)must of course, be sufficiently greater than the supply pressure toclose valve 34 and open valve 1 and is generally from about 400 to 900p.s.i., with 600 p.s.i. being about average.

It may thus be seen that the invention is broad in scope and includessuch modifications as will be apparent to those skilled in the art andis to be limited only by the claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve which opens in response to an increase in upstreampressure: a seat, a cylindrical bore having an axis perpendicular tosaid seat, a single tubular passage opening out of said bore, throughsubstantially the center of said seat, a piston of resilient plastichaving a generally cylindrical outer surface slidably received in saidbore, a surface on one end of said piston to seal against said seat, aconical surface in the other end of said piston, a piston-holding memberbiasedly urged against said piston, said piston-holding member havingone end surface thereof engaged with said conical surface of saidpiston, said end surface being conical, and a plurality of conical slitsin the outer cylindrical wall of said piston, said slits extendingupwardly into said piston with respect to said seat.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said plastic is fluorinatedhydrocarbon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,353,098 9/ 1920Wainwright 137509 2,462,642 2/ 1949 Jacobson et a1. 14120 2,616,504 11/1952 Osmun 277208 XR 2,697,446 12/ 1954 Harrington 137509 2,973,9833/1961 Townsend 277208 3,108,779 10/1963 Anderson 251--368 XR FOREIGNPATENTS 387,919 2/ 1933 Great Britain.

ISADOR WEIL, Primary Examiner.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Examiner.

1. IN A VALVE WHICH OPENS IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE IN UPSTREAMPRESSURE: A SEAT, A CYLINDRICAL BORE HAVING AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TOSAID SEAT, A SINGLE TUBULAR PASSAGE OPENING OUT OF SAID BORE, THROUGHSUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER OF SAID SEAT, A PISTON OF RESILIENT PLASTICHAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAIDBORE, A SURFACE ON ONE END OF SAID PISTON TO SEAL AGAINST SAID SEAT, ACONICAL SURFACE IN THE OTHER END OF SAID PISTON, A PISTON-HOLDING MEMBERBIASEDLY URGED AGAINST SAID PISTON, SAID PISTON-HOLDING MEMBER HAVINGONE END SURFACE THEREOF ENGAGED WITH SAID CONICAL SURFACE OF SAIDPISTON, SAID END SURFACE BEING CONICAL, AND A PLURALITY OF CONICAL SLITSIN THE OUTER CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID